Mutations in the tumor suppressor gene p53 have been reported as occurring prevalently in a wide range of human tumors. Detection of a mutated p53 is thought to provide useful information for the clinical management of colorectal neoplasm. In this study, we used polymerase chain reaction/single-strand conformation polymorphism (PCR/SSCP) and sequencing analysis to rapidly screen for mutations in p53 in colorectal cancer in Taiwan. Genomic DNA was purified from colorectal cancer specimens obtained from 80 patients at a teaching hospital in southern Taiwan. Primer sets were designed to amplify fragments within exons 4-8 of p53. We found p53 mutations in 38 of 80 patients. This is the first identification of a mutation at codon 143 of p53 in colorectal cancer in Taiwan. In addition, we found two insertions in exon 5 of p53. The p53 mutation rate among colorectal tumors in Taiwan, found in this study, is 43%. The results indicate that p53 mutation is not significantly associated with tumor grade, age, or gender (p > 0.05). We found that two-fifths of colorectal cancer patients in Taiwan have a p53 mutation, which could be used as a marker of colorectal cancer.